


The Road to Hell

by Furuba_Fangirl



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Angel Crowley (Good Omens), Backstory for Ineffable Husbands, Crowley's Fall (Good Omens), Fallen Angel Crowley (Good Omens), Fan theory, Gen, Headcanon, M/M, Pre-Canon, Sauntering Vaguely Downwards (Good Omens), Scene: Garden of Eden (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-09-27 00:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20398624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Furuba_Fangirl/pseuds/Furuba_Fangirl
Summary: A different story that starts, as it will end, with a gardenCrowley was a lot of things. He was hot-headed, stubborn, reckless, and sarcastic as all Hell, to name a few. None of which, made him inherently bad. At most, it just made him a bit of a nuisance at times, he supposed. However, one aspect has been the bane of the demon's existence, even before his Fall.He asked too many questions.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Agh, Crowley's backstory has always intrigued me so I had to write a fic of how I personally think things went down (literally)! Kudos and Comments are always appreciated! Happy readings <3

Crowley was a lot of things. He was hot-headed, stubborn, reckless, and sarcastic as all Hell, to name a few. None of which, made him inherently bad. At most, it just made him a bit of a nuisance at times, he supposed. However, one aspect has been the bane of the demon's existence, even before his Fall.

He asked too many questions.

How could he _not _ask questions though? He was a celestial being with the ability to build cosmos and perform miracles with a single thought. He was placed on this planet by a powerful yet indifferent entity for an unknown purpose. Heaven forbid, he would be _curious_ about the obscure mechanisms of the universe.

And forbade they did.

“Mind yourself, Asriel. It is not your place nor the place of any angel, for that matter, to question the Almighty’s plan,” Michael warned him.

Crowley shrugged and sighed, “I don’t mean to disrespect. I just find it odd is all. I mean, why include this tree if nobody is allowed to eat from it?” He gestures to the small sprout growing at the center of Eden. “Seems a bit wasteful, don’t you think?”

Michael’s eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and reiterated, “The reason does not matter. We simply follow instructions and, in time, we shall see the grander picture of Her plan. Understood?”

The former angel did _not _understand but knew this conversation was going nowhere with the archangel. He nodded submissively. “I suppose so.”

“Good. Now come along, Asriel. There is work to be done and deadlines to be fulfilled.”

-

“All I’m saying, is if it’s a mammal then why does it lay eggs? Do you think it was a mistake or do you think perhaps the Almighty has a sense of humor? Do you think She just decided to mix up a bunch of animal parts just to see what’d happen?” he pondered openly as he examined the leaves of his favorite fig tree to make sure no caterpillars hadn’t gotten to it.

His shift partner simply smiled and answered, “There’s no need to wonder why She made them that way. The important thing is remembering that all Her creations are beautiful no matter how amalgamated they might appear.”

Crowley had to physically stop himself from rolling his eyes at the dimwitted angel. “Right… speaking of amalgamation, shouldn’t you make sure the ivy isn’t overgrowing on the trees again?”

“Oh, I almost forgot! I’ll be right back!”

“Please, take all the time you need,” Crowley murmured under his breath.

As he continued with his work, he heard leaves rustling behind and then a taunting voice ask, “They’re all a bunch of lemmings, don’t you think?”

Crowley turned to see another angel, perched casually on a boulder; his wavy, golden locks falling just above his shoulders and his grey eyes twinkling with indescribable mischief. He’d never seen the being around before but then again he hadn’t exactly made it his mission to know all of Heaven’s angel. So he decided to humor himself with the conversation. “No need to offend,” he said with mock sternness. “Lemmings wouldn’t thank their maker on their way down.”

Crowley knew that jokes usually went over most angel’s heads. So, he was pleasantly surprised when the angel lifted his eyebrows and let out a burst of amused laughter. “I guess you’re right. How rude of me.”

Crowley smiled shyly, finding the light-hearted banter refreshing.

“Although, I probably shouldn’t be too hard on the angels either,” he continued. “They don’t know any better but they will one day.”

“Oh, how do you suppose that’ll happen?” Crowley asked curiously.

The angel flashed him an impish smile. “Why, with angels like you and me teaching them to think for themselves, of course,” he answered matter-of-factly.

Crowley couldn’t help scoff at that a little. “That’s a funny notion but I’d doubt anyone would listen to me. I’m not very high in the ranks of Heaven as you can see,” he vaguely motioned around, referring to his gardening tasks.

The angel leaned his elbow on his knee and rested his jaw on his fist. “Hmm, well, you’ve managed to capture my attention. So, I’d say you have a natural charm of being heard.”

Crowley’s then hazel eyes blinked in disbelief, cheeks feeling warm at the compliment. “That’s very kind of you to say,” he stammered.

The angel got up from his seat to saunter toward him. “I’m Lucifer, by the way,” he introduced extending his hand out.

Crowley coyly shook it, unaccustomed to such interactions. “Asriel.”

“Nice to make your acquaintance.” Lucifer withdrew his hand to fold it behind his back. “So, Asriel, care to take a walk with me? We have much to discuss…”

Unbeknownst to the naïve angel, that was the first walk towards a long descent.

Truthfully, he couldn't be blamed. All he knew, at that point, was that it felt nice not feeling alone for once in his existence. Finally, he had a group of, dare-he-say, friends. Angels that he could actually have conversations with.

“What do you think the Garden is for anyways?” Crowley asked in one of their rendezvous as he lay flat basking in the sunlight. “It was all hands on deck for this project so it must be very important.”

“I think it’s some sort of zoo,” chimed in an angel, lazily twirling a finger around a strand of ebony hair. “The Almighty keeps popping new creations left and right. Probably wants to keep them in one place.”

“Well, you’re not far off, Gadreel,” Lucifer remarked. “I’ve heard rumors about a new creature God is making called a human. They’re supposed to be Her most perfect creation, hence all the bells and whistles for the little buggers.”

The auburn-haired angel quirked an eyebrow. “Well, what makes them so special that they need a whole Garden?”

“Apparently, a little thing called ‘free will’. The ability to make their own decisions…”

Crowley noted the bitter tone in which the blonde angel said this as if he was threatened somehow… He turned his head to see a somber expression on Lucifer’s face. Of course, any other angel would simply let it go but then again Crowley wasn’t a normal angel. He sat up, leaning back on his arms. “Does that bother you, Lucifer?”

The other angels fidgeted a bit, thinking the question would offend the leader of their group.

However, Lucifer simply gave the young angel a sympathetic look. “Doesn’t it bother you, Asriel?” He then addressed the rest of the group. “Doesn’t it bother all of you? _We _are God’s greatest creations. We have powers greater than any animal on this planet. Why should these ‘humans’ be given the power of choice while we have to blindly follow a voice in the sky?” The angels seemed to be empowered by his heated tone, as they nodded their heads in agreement. “Why should we care for them more than God cares for us?” The anger and envy simmering within Lucifer were palpable and they charged the air with unrest. The blonde angel must’ve perceived Crowley’s perturbed demeanor as he went to kneel down next to him. “No need to look so worried, my friend,” he assured in a now leveled tone, squeezing his shoulder. “No harm in wishful thinking, is there?”

It was supposed to be encouraging but deep in those steely eyes, there was an ominous agenda Crowley could not decipher. Although, he promptly shook that concern away. It was silly to think an angel was capable of doing anything wrong… right?


	2. Chapter 2

“Asriel, a word please,” Michael requested stoically, approaching Crowley in the Garden.

“Yes, of course,” he yielded wearily.

Michael apathetically inspected a rose bush nearby before speaking. “You’ve been spending quite some time here, haven’t you?”

“Just… following my duties as requested,” he clarified.

“Indeed, you have been but that is not why I’m asking…” The archangel plucked a white rose from the bush before turning to face his subordinate. “I’m just wondering if during your time here you haven’t heard any blasphemous whispers circulating.”

“…Such as?”

Michael twirled the flower around. “Angels questioning the Almighty’s plan or… voicing general dissatisfaction in our Holy Kingdom. Anything of that nature. ”

“Oh… that sort of blasphemy.” If he was capable of sweating, he was sure he’d have a thin layer lining his forehead. “I can’t say I’ve heard anything like that,” he swore.

Michael hummed, “Very well. Just thought I'd check around to settle some concerns…" The archangel looked at the rose and started plucking off the dry petals. "You know, Asriel, I hope your time in Eden has taught you an important lesson. In order for things to truly flourish… there is necessary pruning to be done. So, if you notice something that needs to be cut out… you come and notify me immediately. Is that clear?”

Crowley stared at the withered petals scattered around the archangel’s bare feet. “Yes, Michael,” he muttered.

“Good… You may continue your work.”

-

“Michael approached me yesterday,” Crowley confessed as he strolled alongside Lucifer.

“Oh, and what did that old busy-body want?” he chuckled flippantly.

He hesitated a bit before responding, “To ask me if I heard talk of blasphemy…”

Lucifer stared forward, seemingly unfazed by this. “Interesting… Did you say anything?”

“N-no,” Crowley quickly assured. “I would never disclose our discussions!”

He glanced over at the flustered angel and smiled reassuringly. “I know you wouldn’t, Asriel… Do you know why I know that? Because you understand that it’s not blasphemy… What can be so blasphemous about seeking answers? What is so wrong about wanting to do more with our existence?”

Crowley nudged at a patch grass with his foot. “Nothing I suppose… but they won’t see it that way.”

The blonde angel caringly slung his arm over Crowley’s shoulder. “Do you trust me, Asriel?”

Crowley finally turned his head to meet Lucifer’s gaze. “Of course I do…”

He grinned seemingly pleased by his answer. “Then trust me when I tell you this… There’s a new era approaching and all I ask from you is to wait for what’s to come. And I promise that your patience will be rewarded, my friend.” As if he read the next question in the young angel’s mind he added, “One day you’ll get to choose your own path instead of aimlessly following someone else’s.”

Looking back, Crowley knew he should’ve pressed harder. If there was ever a time for him to ask for further elaboration, it should’ve been then and there. Yet, the utter confidence with which Lucifer spoke… the way he always knew exactly what to say entranced him and eased any doubts he had. “Well, when you put it that way it does sound nice,” he said, trying to mimic the other’s sureness. More to convince himself rather than Lucifer.

The angel gave him a hearty pat on the back. “That’s the spirit,” he praised. “Let’s go, the others are probably waiting.”

Perhaps it was just a pitch at the moment; a way for the dark angel to ensure that his personal plan continued in motion. Nonetheless, Lucifer was correct about a new world in which Crowley could truly choose his path. Unfortunately, that was several millennia into the unforeseeable future and, until then, fate had harsher trials in store for the formerly divine creature.

Something he’d soon find out as the next round of cards was about to be dealt.

He found out when night fell on Eden and the twinkling stars Crowley was staring at were suddenly shrouded by red thundering clouds. When the Earth shook to its very core and a deafening _CRACK_ could be heard in the distance, beyond the walls of the Garden. When a reverberating voice bellowed, “ENOUGH!” so loudly it could be felt down to the atom.

With a flap of his wings, Crowley lifted himself into the sky until he landed on the edge of the stone wall where other angels were observing as well. He looked on in horror, as flaming objects began hurling towards a giant crevasse that had appeared in the sandy desert. As they got closer to the ground, he could see the silhouettes of celestial beings engulfed in fire, their once iridescent wings now singed charcoal black. The distraught angel fell to his knees at the sounds of their agonizing screams as one by one they fell into the dark abyss. Crowley covered his mouth, stifling his utterance of dread. “Lucifer… What have you done?”

The answer would come like a gust of wind breezing through Heaven and Earth. Apparently, leading a coup of over a dozen divine warriors through the pearly gates was frowned upon by the Almighty. As a result of this inconvenience to Her, She had the angels cast away to a new realm called Hell. However, that was just the first wave of The Fall… Because Heaven was out for blood.

-

Crowley sat against the trunk of a tree, loneliness washing over him as he looked at the empty spaces where angels previously occupied. As he was about to shut his eyes, he heard a twig breaking up ahead. He skittishly shot up on his feet and called out, “Who’s there?” No answer. “Hello,” he tried again… Still nothing. Not even a bird or cricket to be heard.

Suddenly, he felt his arms being tugged behind his back before suddenly being pinned to the ground, face down. As he struggled against the two angels restraining him, he turned his head so that half his face was pressed against the moist grass. He was then met with the sight of Michael staring down at him with a stony expression. “Michael, please,” he rasped. “What are you—“ His words were cut off as he was gagged with a strip of fabric.

“You should’ve listened to me, Asriel.” The Archangel glared at him with cold, blue eyes. “Now you’ve left me to do the weeding…”

Crowley’s heart sank with despair as he realized that his fate was sealed.

“Take him back to Heaven for sentencing,” Michael ordered. “I have more rubbish to pick up.”

Now that his hands were securely tied back, the angels forcefully hoisted him back up before dragging him away.


	3. Chapter 3

The marble floor of Heaven felt particularly cold under the defeated angel’s feet. The sterile white walls appeared bland to him as he had grown accustomed to the burst of colors in Eden. The angels escorting him pushed him into Heaven’s main hall before closing the doors behind him. As he stumbled inside, he was faced by a row of irritated archangels seated behind a long table. At the center of it, Archangel Gabriel looked up from his scroll and examined him superficially. “Another one so soon,” he commented. “Michael sure isn’t wasting time cleaning up shop.” He set the scroll aside. “Well, let’s move this along. State your name.”

Crowley made a confused sound to indicate that he was still very much gagged.

“Oh, right.” With a snap, Gabriel miracled away the cloth from his mouth. “Let’s try that again, shall we. Name.”

He cracked his jaw a bit before hoarsely answering, “Asriel.”

“Asriel, Asriel?” Gabriel repeated as he shuffled through a stack of papyrus. “Which one is he again?

“Here’s his file.”

“Ah, thank you, Sandalphon.” Gabriel took the document from his comrade and scanned through it. After a bit, he tutted, “My, my, you sure have gotten yourself in a predicament. It seems you were spotted by your fellow angels on several occasions with Lucifer and company. Not to mention that some of these sightings were just days prior to his pitiful attempt at a rebellion. Although I’ve got to admit your friends still managed to make quite a mess here. We’ll be backlogged for months on account of the discorporations that occurred during that little scrimmage.”

Crowley gulped, “I swear, I didn’t know what he was planning. I didn’t think he was capable of—“

“You will speak when you are instructed to do so,” Uriel interjected snippily.

“It’s alright, Uriel,” he assured politically. He gave Crowley a formal yet forced grin. “So, Asriel… You mean to tell us that you spent the majority of your time with your new ragtag friends and didn’t have a single suspicion about their intentions. _You _who was tasked by your supervisor to keep an eye out for any potential threats. _You_, an angel with several notes on your record about your tendencies to overanalyze even the simplest obligation, didn’t see the risk they posed?” He shrugged his arms dramatically and laughed humorlessly, “I mean, you can see why this looks bad for you, right?”

Crowley’s voice got stuck in his throat and ultimately hung his head in shame. He couldn’t deny that… He saw the resentment residing in Lucifer but was too blinded by faith to acknowledge it. “Yes… I know,” he murmured.

This answer seemed to satisfy the archangel. “Well, now that we’re all on the same page we can continue with this proceeding. Just give us a list of names of any cohorts that you know of and we’ll consider reducing your punishment.”

The angel stared at his superiors disconcertedly. “What? I… I can’t do that.”

Gabriel mockingly rolls his eyes at him. “Sure you can!”

“But… they’re good angels.”

“Asriel, please,” he scoffed. “They would sell you down the river in a heartbeat. In fact, most of them did, so, I suggest you be reasonable and give us something to work with.” Despite this Crowley remained silent and Gabriel’s fake smile faltered a little. “_Or_ we still find your co-conspirators without your help and you get thrown into the pits of Hell. How does that sound?”

Crowley swallowed thickly, his body beginning to shake. Although, it wasn’t out of fear… It was something entirely new. Something he had never felt before but would come to know over the years: …rage. “They— Not all of them were ‘co-conspirators’,” he challenged much to the dismay of the table. “Most just wanted to share their ideas. Wonderfully, brilliant ideas to not only make Heaven a better place but Earth as well. Why should they be punished because they had _opinions_?”

Gabriel dropped his professional façade and scowled, “Remember who you’re speaking to. You better choose your next words very carefully, Asriel.”

Well…

“Oh, piss off, the lot you,” Crowley barked with every ounce of bravery he could muster. “Maybe all of this could’ve been avoided if anyone in this God-forsaken place cared about what we thought and listened for once—“

“Silence! You _insolent_ little worm,” Gabriel spat, losing any bit of composure he had left and silencing the room. The archangel’s six wings were fully extended and his violet eyes glowed with unbridled fury. It took a moment before he regained his poise, tucking his wings a way and fixing his posture. “Fine,” he huffed with a growing smirk. “Guards,” he called out. “Go get Michael. There’s been a change in plans.”

-

Michael arrived with a small, alabaster box and placed it on the table. The celestial being observed a re-muzzled Crowley, now on his knees, and amusedly berated, “Couldn’t hold your tongue I see…” Michael then turned to face Gabriel. “Shall we proceed?”

“Yes, we’re ready to give our verdict.” Gabriel cleared his throat before announcing, “We find the angel, Asriel, guilty of treason. As punishment, he shall be stripped of his holiness and be banished from the Kingdom of Heaven.”

“Michael, if you may,” Gabriel requested motioning to the box in front of him.

“Gladly.” The archangel opened the case and displayed a branding stamp only a few inches long. Crowley stared at the seemingly inert object with a quirk in his eyebrow. “Oh, you’re probably wondering about this lovely gadget. Don’t worry, you’re about to find out. It was commissioned specially for traitors like you.”

All Crowley could do was helplessly watch as Michael approached him with a pleased smile. The angel noticed that the golden head of the stamp began to glow as intricate loops appeared before his frightened eyes.

Michael examined the completed design momentarily and smugly remarked, “Will you look at that? A snake… Pretty fitting if you ask me.” The angel tried to recoil away but the archangel gripped his face with a bruising force to still his movement. Crowley let out a gritted scream of pain as the sigil was pressed against the flesh underneath his right sideburn with a sickening sizzle.

Once Michael pulled the brand away and stepped back, Crowley slumped over in agony. As he blinked away tears, he caught a glimpse of himself on the polished floor. Through the reflection he could see red lines radiating from the dark, serpentine mark, leaving a burning sensation in their wake. As the scorching pattern continued to spread like lava, the brown of his right iris was replaced with a glowing yellow encroaching onto the sclera and his pupil was elongated into a slit. His left eye soon followed the same fate and the heat throughout his face was becoming unbearable. However, the worst was yet to come as flames ignited his skin and enveloped his entire body. The angel’s wails of anguish and muffled supplications were ignored as the archangels watched their handiwork.

Gabriel finally spoke again, unbothered by Crowley’s suffering. “Seems like you’re ready to serve out your sentence. I would say, ‘Go with God’ but She’s not where you’re going, demon.” With the snap of his fingers, the floor beneath Crowley parted and gravity took hold of the condemned being.

As he fell head first, the wind violently swished through his fiery curls and whirred loudly in his ears. He opened up his wings in desperation, the pearly white feathers becoming charred as he did so. It was no use though at the speed with which he was tumbling toward the earth. As he saw the dark abyss getting closer to his line of vision, all he could think was, _This is it… There’s no way I’ll survive this._ So, he closed his eyes, teardrops evaporating away as he resigned himself to the inevitable…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of archangels having six wings so I wanted to give a little nod to that. Also, a little elaboration on the branding stamp. The stamp is an object that translates the punishment to fit the "crime". In this case, Crowley was sneaking behind his superiors' backs, hence why he got a snake symbol.


	4. Chapter 4

He doesn’t remember feeling the fall. The only thing he remembered was waking with an unbearable ache that reached his very existence. As he opened his eyes, he was laying belly down on a cold, stone floor completely immersed in darkness. With the small amount of strength he had left, he flipped himself onto his back with a groan. As he stared up, the only thing in sight was the high walls of the fissure that he’d fallen through. After his eyes adjusted a bit, he managed to see a small splinter of the twilight sky and let out a sorrowful whimper as he began openly sobbing; the weight of his penance finally hitting him.

Once he had no tears left to shed, he desperately attempted to break free of the angelic restraints still tying his arms back until his wrists felt raw. The fallen angel let out a visceral growl of frustration which transitioned into a sharp, hissing noise. Suddenly, he no longer felt the bondages around his wrists, well, because they were no longer there (his wrists that is). When he looked down at himself, he saw ebony and copper scales forming on his skin and his legs warping into a single tail. As his body finished morphing into that of a slim serpent, his restraints and gag slinked off of him with ease. For a moment, he thought of climbing up the crevasse but his reptilian body suddenly felt very sluggish. He curled into himself to retain some warmth, slipping into his very first slumber.

He awoke to somebody kicking his shin and scolding, “Oy, demon. What do you think you’re doing here?”

Crowley lurched up, realizing that he was back to his “normal” form. He rubbed the grogginess out of his eyes. “Sorry, what was that?” he yawned. As his eyes panned up, he was met with the sight of a ghostly white being with completely black eyes and rotting scabs. He tried his best to suppress a gag rising in his throat from the stench hitting his nose.

“I said, ‘what are you doing here?’ You should be at your designated post,” he explained irately.

Crowley blinked at him in confusion trying his best not to stare directly at the toad resting on top of his head. “I… don’t know where that is.”

The demon extended the torch he was holding to get a better look at Crowley causing him to flinch away fearfully. “Oh, you’re a newbie,” he grumbled, finally realizing he’d never seen him around before. “Come along then.”

He started walking away and Crowley scrambled up to his feet to follow. “Wait, where are we going?”

“Need to see where Lord Beelzebub wants you situated.”

The pale demon leads him down the ravine until they reached a set of spiraling steps. As they made their way downstairs, Crowley decided to break the tense silence. “What’s your name?”

He groaned a little before answering, “Hastur.”

The new demon hesitated a bit before he continued, “I’m Asriel.”

Hastur made an audible “_Eck!”_ noise. “Such an angelic name,” he stated with disgust.

“Well… that’s what I was up until a few hours ago,” he reminded sardonically.

“Well, I suggest you change it now that you’re here. Nobody here wants reminders of up there,” he advised bitterly.

Crowley decided the silence was better than holding a conversation with this particular individual.

After what felt like forever, they finally reached the bottom where the soft glow of torches leads to an open room. Crowley noticed the smell of rotting eggs first before seeing the miserable looking creatures that it was emanating from. Hastur and Crowley approached a door built into a cave wall and the older demon raps it briskly.

The door opened from the inside and a stout, pudgy creature partially steps out. “State your business.”

“I’ve got fresh meat,” he answered, flicking his head to direct the monster’s attention to Crowley.

The doorkeeper squints his beady eyes at the new demon. “Very well…” He opens the door wide enough to let them pass through.

The room was illuminated by the soft glow of torches and was filled with the sound of buzzing. As they approached, he realized the source of the noise was the flies swarming around the demon that sat up ahead. Crowley could see they had tangled, black hair and patches of oozing sores along their face, however, their teal eyes looked vaguely familiar. “Is that you, Gadreel?” Crowley asked which earned him a swift smack to the back of the head.

“That’s Lord Beelzebub to you,” Hastur hissed.

“No need to overreact, Hastur. He and I were civil in the Garden so I shall allow it… This time,” the demon specified.

“My apologies, my Lord.”

Beelzebub leaned back in the chair, folding their arm across their chest. “So… things must seem a little bleak right now but you’ll see damnation was all be for the best. We can use all the help we can get for our new mission.”

“What new mission?” Crowley pressed.

“Oh, just destroying the world,” Beelzebub clarified bluntly.

The new demon was taken aback by this declaration. “Uh, that seems a bit extreme doesn’t it?”

“Well, it’ll take some time, obviously. For now, Satan has settled for causing some chaos before leveling it to the ground.”

“Satan?”

“Right, you’ve missed quite a lot. Lucifer prefers going by Satan nowadays.”

Crowley’s heart jumped a bit. “Where is he? Can I talk to him?”

Hastur laughed at his audacity. “You sure don’t know your place, do you? Lord Satan doesn’t just talk to any lowly demon, such as yourself.”

“But… he and I are friends…”

The pale demon snickered but Beelzebub shushed him and sighed, “Asriel, you have to understand that Satan has much bigger plans to deliberate on. He doesn’t have time to dwell on past friendships. He’s gathering strengths as we speak deep in the earth’s core. When he’s ready, we shall be here awaiting his orders…”

Crowley’s face fell into a frown. _So, we’re going to do the same as in Heaven. Is that what you’re saying?_ The question was on the tip of his tongue but… he didn’t care for the answer anymore. Out of everything that happened, those words were what finally broke his spirit. He had been humiliated. He had been tortured. He had _fallen._ He had fallen to preserve his belief that someday things could change. Yet the person who taught him that...the one who inspired him became exactly what he hated… So what was left for him to believe in?

In his disillusion, he came to the conclusion that since he irrevocably incinerated his bridge with Heaven, he might as well make nice with Hell. He figured having a side was better than having none at all… Crowley finally spoke, suppressing the lump in his throat. “Well… if there’s something I can do to help… just give me a holler.”

Beelzebub nodded acceptingly. “Your willingness is recognized. For now, Hastur will show you around,” the demon dismissed with a wave.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact, my thought processing behind Crowley's angelic name "Asriel" is literally that both his aliases (Anthony and Ashtoreth) start with A. I wish I had a deeper reasoning but nah fam XD


End file.
